Xelox (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy of unresectable liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients

Neoplasma. 2008;55(1):65-70.

Abstract

Complete resection of liver metastasis may provide long term survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Increased number of studies on successful resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with initially unresectable liver metastasis has been reported. We evaluated retrospectively the results of 35 patients with unresectable liver only metastases from colorectal cancer treated with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin combination (XELOX). Treatment consisted of IV oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 day 1 and oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 day twice daily on days 1 to 14 followed by 7 days of rest repeated every 3 weeks. After chemotherapy, 13 (37, 2 %) patients showed partial clinical response. Among them, 7 patients were considered suitable for surgery but 2 patients refused the surgery. While one of 5 patients had unresectable disease at surgery, the remaining 4 patients (11, 4 %) had a complete resection. There was one postoperative mortality due to sepsis within 2 months after surgery. Our data suggests that XELOX regimen seems to be useful in unresectable liver only metastases from colorectal cancer because of its activity, feasibility and tolerability. Further studies of XELOX in combination with bevacizumab and/ or cetuximab are warranted in this setting.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Capecitabine
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Deoxycytidine / adverse effects
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Evaluation
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / adverse effects
  • Fluorouracil / analogs & derivatives
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Oxaloacetates
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Oxaloacetates
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Capecitabine
  • Fluorouracil

Supplementary concepts

  • XELOX